The Innocence Of Love
by jennifersjareau
Summary: Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau were bestfriends, and they had been since the day they met. But there was something there, despite both of them wanting to ignore this. The two women fight crime, but will they be able to keep their feelings to themselves, or will it all come crashing down? While their feelings may seem innocent, it's up to them to decide what to do with them.
1. Chapter 1

I was going to be there for her. I wanted to be there for her. JJ was my best friend, we were best friends. But to me? It was so much more.

The sound of the coffee sizzling was all that Emily Prentiss heard as she collected her things and got ready to walk out the door to work. The unit chief position was hard to fill, but she was succeeding greatly. With the keys rattling in her hand, she tried to hold her holster still as she leaned over to fill Sergio, her cats, food bowl. As she lifted her head back up, the cat jumped at her. She dropped her keys and bag. "Shit." She said. "Sergio, what was that for?" She asked. She began picking up her things, and then went back to the counter to pour some coffee into her favorite cup. She hummed to herself as she poured a little bit of half and half,n and two spoonfuls of sweetener into the dark roast coffee, and then twisted the lid onto the portable coffee cup. Without another thought she walked out the door, and headed off to work.

The first sound she heard walking into work was Penelope Garcia, her chirpy coworker's, voice. "Emily! There you are." She said, smiling brightly. "Garcia. What's got you so happy? We have a case." She said, looking concerned. "I know we have a case. But that has nothing to do with why I'm smiling right now." She said while pulling out her bright pink, bedazzled tablet. "Well then, what is it?" She asked. "Luke and I are getting coffee tomorrow." Garcia said happily before sipping her coffee. "Oh. Alvez? I didn't know you two were a thing." Emily said, looking a little bit confused. "Oh. But Emily, we're not. We're barely even friends." Garcia smiled again. "Then…. What are you so happy for?" Emily asked, looking completely lost. "I don't know what I'm so happy for. I guess I'm just excited, that's all." Emily squinted, and tilter her head a little bit to the right. "Okay then. Let's get to work." Emily walked towards the briefing room confident as ever, ready to ruin everybody's mood with another one of their gruesome cases.

"Meet Camilla Wolfington. 22 year old single mom to three year old Jane Wolfington. Camilla's body was found in a junkyard two days ago." Garcia aimed the remote to the flat screen t.v. to show a picture of a beautiful blonde woman. Pictures of the woman with her smiling child at a park holding butterflies flooded the screen and before getting the chance to get to know the faces of the victim and her family, Camilla's body appeared in front of them. "The M.E. reports have not came back yet, but judging by her injuries, the cause of death is most likely the shallow stab wounds on the victims head and neck. Please direct your focuses to the images of the second victim, Lisa Hurley. Brunette single mom to 7 year old son James Hurley. Husband was killed by a drunk driver when James was 3 and moms been single ever since." Garcia looked down, obviously disgusted by the images that appeared behind her. "Her body was found yesterday by local shopkeeper John Winsley. His alibi checks out and as of right now he's not a suspect in either of the murders."

"Well do you have any other leads in the case? Do we know anything?" Reid asked. "We know the UnSub going to strike again." Emily cut in. "Wheels up in 30." She said, shuffling her papers and organizing her files before standing up and walking towards the doors. "Emily. Hold up." JJ said, walking towards the brunette looking a little bit frazzled and unorganized. "JJ? What is it?" Emily said, looking genuinely concerned. "How are you holding up? I heard about you and Joe and I just wanted to let you know that I'm there for you if you need something." Emily smiled slightly. "Yeah. Okay. Thanks, JJ." Re-opening the door, she walked out. "You coming?" She asked. JJ smiled and nodded and began to make her way back to her desk, which was covered in pictures of her and her family. "Do we know if there's any other victims?" Luke asked, leaning over her shoulder while she was sitting at her desk rubbing her head. "Hmm?" JJ asked. "I was wondering if there were any other victims besides the two Garcia told me about. But you're obviously in the middle of something. I can ask Lewis if you want." Luke said, getting ready to walk away from her. "No. No, that's okay, Alvez. I guess I'm just dealing with some personal problems, that's all." She smiled slightly. "Okay. Well let me know if you need anything, or if you need somebody to talk to." JJ laughed to herself. Luke cracked a confused smile. "What? What's so funny?" JJ started laughed harder."Nothing. Nothings funny. Its just- Its just that I just said the same type of things to JJ a couple of minutes ago, and here I am complaining because I'm attracted to somebody besides my own damn husband." Luke looked shocked, understandably. "W- Well…. Well I mean, I guess attraction is normal. You shouldn't feel guilty about about that." JJ looked suspicious. Oh really?" Luke squinted, shaking his head. "Yeah." "OH REALLY?" She looked angry, and impatient waiting for his response. "Yeah." He said, uncertain and hesitantly, tilting his head to the left. "Well what if I told you it was a woman?"

"You have feelings for a woman." He said, looking shocked. "You have feelings for a woman?" He said, repeating himself, sounding even more shocked than he did before. JJ smiled looking like a know-it-all, and nodded to him a little bit snarkily. "Yeah. A woman. But not just _any_ woman. It's Emily." Luke stared at her, obviously shocked. "You- You have feelings? For Emily?" He stuttered. JJ nodded. "I have feelings. For Emily." JJ breathed a sigh of relief. She had been holding these feelings in for so long. It felt good to let them out, even if it was to the newbie. But Luke stared at her for a couple of moments, and not knowing what to say to him, she just stared back. They sat there for a while, just looking at one another, waiting for the other person to speak. But before one of them could, Reid came over to them.

"I hate to break up what looks like a very meaningful conversation, but we're leaving for Omaha in five minutes." He said, leaning over them. "Let's go." He said, walking away from his friends. "Oh! Umm…. We should probably get going." JJ said, shuffling the already organized papers and files on her desk. "Oh. Umm…. Yeah. Yeah, we should." Luke said, using his tan arms to lift himself back upwards from JJ's desk since he had been leaning over it for such a long time. He cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll see you on the plane." He said, visibly uncomfortable knowing this much information about his co workers personal life, knowing he was the only person that did. "Mhm." She nodded. "See you on the plane." She smiled politely, walking towards the doors of the BAU, without another thought.

Well not wanting to let Emily hear him, Luke approached JJ before takeoff and asked her to come with him to make coffee. Without even thinking she obliged, following him to the small mahogany oak counter and watched as he poured straight black coffee into a light blue mug with "Quantico, Virginia." engraved in black letters. "So are we gonna talk about what happened earlier?" He said, still emptying a packet of sugar into his steaming hot coffee. "What happened? I'm not gonna pretend like I was shocked when I heard you asked Penelope out but I-" She started rambling. "What? No, no. That's not what I was talking about. I was talking about how you- Wait a minute, how did you know that I asked Penelope out for coffee?" He asked, looking at her suspiciously. "Well I heard from Lewis who heard from Reid who heard from Emily who heard from Garcia. She was really excited about this, Luke." She smiled, smiling sympathetically. "I'm excited too, but that doesn't mean that I'm-" He stopped, obviously skeptical. "Wait a minute. I know what your doing. I know you're trying to distract me from asking you about Emily." He smirked. "Shh." She said, looking around worried. "Somebody might hear you." Luke laughed. "I know. But quite frankly, I dont give a damn." He said, pouring more sugar packets into his coffee. "Well I do, Alvez. I don't want her to know. I don't want anybody to know." Luke smiled looking down to his coffee, laughing to himself. "Okay, okay. I'm not gonna tell anybody. JJ I'm not a bad guy. I just find it interesting that it took you this long to admit you have feelings for her." He put down the empt bright pink packets and lifted this coffee cup to his lips. "What are you talking about? Did you- did you think I had feelings for her?" He smiled, putting his coffee to his lips and taking a couple of sips of his coffee.

I know that you think that you're all cool and calm and collected Jennifer Jareau, but I can see right through you." He smirked. "But you're just a newbie." She said, self-questioning, carefully considering everything he said to her. "Yup." He nodded. "I am just a newbie. But I'm also the newbie that figured out you had feelings for Prentiss a day after I joined the BAU. I'm also the newbie that figured out that you and your husband are really in love, but you discovering yourself and questioning your sexuality has caused to you to be more distant towards him, which is making the two of you grow apart. I also know that although all of the things you feel for your husband are real, you want to explore this new side of yourself, and you're not going to be happy until you do." He said, walking past her, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She stood there for a few moments, mouth agape, in shock. _He was right. Newb- Luke- was right._ She had feelings for Emily. She had feelings for Emily the first time she saw her. But then she fell in love with Will, and it made everything more complicated. She forgot about her feelings for Emily for a while. But they were always there. Lurking in the shadows, waiting to appear at just the wrong time. She knew what she wanted. She knew what she had to do to get it. But what she didn't know was how far she was willing to go to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

"Garvez. JJ. We're about to do a conference call with Garcia." Emily said in her deep, but still calming, voice. "Hmm?" Garvez asked, quietly looking up from this copy of "How To Kill A Mockingbird." "We're about to get on a conference call with your future bride, Garvez." Emily smiled subtly. "Okay, so does everybody know?" He said, a mixture of annoyed and happy at the same time. "I even told Morgan." Reid smiled innocently. Garvez suddenly looked nervous. "What is it Garvez? You scared Derek Morgan's going to come and kick to your ass when he finds out you asked his babygirl on a date?" JJ asked. Luke mumbled under his breath, and crossed his arms looking frustrated. "He's married. With a child." JJ looked down. Suddenly, her predicament just got a whole lot bigger. Suddenly? She was Derek Morgan. But the only difference was, she had actually considered being with her Garcia.

"What do we know about the UnSub so far?" Emily asked the team of agents, sitting patiently in leather plane seats, with 20 minutes left to go until they land in Illinois. "Well we know that its most likely a male between the ages of 20-35, considering the age and lives of his victims." Reid said. "We also know that the UnSub has an obvious hatred towards women, judging by his disposal of the victims, and the overkill on them." Tara added, rummaging through the case files. "We know that he's killed two single moms,but left their children unharmed." Rossi said, looking at pictures of the crime scenes. "Well that might just be because of the fact that the children weren't present during the time of the murders. Camilla was at a club on the East Side of town and Lisa was on her morning run when she was last seen alive by somebody." JJ said. "That could have just been a coincidence. They were most likely chosen by the UnSub as victims, so he probably stalked them and knew where they were going to be." Lewis cut in. "But what if they were victims of opportunity? It's possible that both women angered or upset the UnSub in some way. Maybe they denied sexual advances?" Alvez questioned. "Not likely. Considering the wounds on the second victims head, she was most likely blitz attacked, probably to stop her from fighting back." Emily said, re-examining pictures of the crime scenes. "Then the UnSub must not have had the physical strength to attack his victims." Rossi said. "But that doesn't explain why the first victim only had wounds on the front of her body. She wasn't blitz attacked." Reid added, rubbing his head. "The first victim was at a club, and the M.E. reports said that she had alcohol in her system, too. She may have not been able to defend herself, and that's probably why the UnSub attacked her at that time." JJ sighed. "Well whatever the UnSubs physical strength might be, it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon so get some rest. We're landing in 10 minutes and heading straight to the police department." Emily said confidently, shutting the case of her tablet and reclining back in her chair, ready to get to work.

The feeling of her feet hitting the ground was something Emily Prentiss missed, despite it only being a short flight to Chicago. Being in Chicago was weird for her. Although she was still friends with Morgan and saw him quite often, it was still weird working on a case in his hometown without him there. She liked the new members of the team, but she would always have a special relationship with her original team.

She didn't have any romantic feelings for him, though. They were best friends. He was the Spencer to her JJ. Penelope was the type of person that everybody was best friends with. But overall, the whole team was like a family. Derek was the first person that she had come out to in the BAU, and the only one since them. She had a crush on JJ when she had first met her, but after Derek informed her that JJ was, well, _**undoubtedly**_ , and _**completely**_ straight. She had at least five boyfriends in the time that he had known her, and didn't seem at all interested in being with a woman. But little did he know, JJ had been thinking of being with a woman. The unit chief of the BAU, Emily Prentiss, and she was getting more and more impatient waiting for her to realize this.

While Emily had noticed the glimpse in JJ's eyes that she got while looking at her, the slight shimmer of longing and desire that she got from her deep green eyes was breathtaking.

She felt warm with her. She felt safe. And although they weren't together, and they probably never would be, that doesn't change the fact that those feelings? Those feelings were there. "Prentiss?" The smooth sound of Spencer Reid's voice was all that she heard, covering the sound of coffee sizzling in the bland, beige walls of the Chicago Police Station. "The police cheif wants to talk to you about the case. An official 'Welcome' if you will." Reid smiled at his own witty joke. Emily looked at him, unamused. "Hmfph." Reid looked down sheepishly, trying to hide his obvious embarrassment. "Well anyways, he wants you to meet him in the conference room in five minutes." She smiled slightly before nodding and walking off to meet him.

Walking through the lobby of her hotel in downtown Chicago, Jennifer Jareau was trying to balance her mint decaf coffee in one hand and her keys and bags in the other. Without even realizing it, she suddenly collided with a woman with dark brown, short hair and the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. She had fair skin- but she wasn't pale. She had a glowing luminance about her. She had a tight blazer, that fit just around her body, hugging every curve in a way that accentuated her, flattering the woman's shape. For a moment…. Just a moment…. She forgot that this woman was Emily Prentiss. "JJ! I'm so sorry!" Emily said, looking flustered. JJ smiled at her. "It's okay, Em." But JJ couldn't help but notice that her friend was slowly scanning her body. She tilted her head as if to ask _What is it?_ Emily's eyes shock back up. "It's- It's your blouse." Emily winced. "Oh! Thank you! I got it from Kate Spade last weekend, I was-" JJ started babbling, more than happy to be complimented on her fashion choices. "Oh no, JJ. I meant your blouse is ruined." JJ looked down, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I must have spilled coffee on it when I ran into you. I'm so sorry." Emily started dabbing JJ's ruffled white blouse with the sleeve of her blazer. JJ couldn't help but giggle at this. "What? What Is it? Emily asked, smiling at her friend. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how when I bought this blouse, I didn't expect it to be covered in coffee." Emily laughed. "Well, if you're all good…. I'm gonna head back to my hotel room and get a goodnight's sleep for tomorrow. I wanna be prepared for whatever we have to deal with." Emily smiled. "Yeah…. Yeah." JJ nodded quickly, trying to hide her disappointment. "Of course." She smiled. "Goodnight, JJ." Emily said skeptically, noticing that something was wrong with JJ. "Goodnight, Emily." JJ smiled slightly. The two parted their separate ways.


	3. Chapter 3

JJ opened the doors single bed hotel room in a hurry, quickly slamming them behind her. She set her bags and keys on the bed, and threw the coffee cup, now empty, into the gray trash can, with the logo of "The DoubleTree Hotel." engraved on the side. Taking off her blazer, she slowly made her way to the bathroom, pulling her ruffled white blouse over head head, her long blonde hair being pulled along too. She entered the bathroom, the golden light fixtures casting an almost dingey glow to the beige painted walls and tile floors. Spreading open the shower curtains, she turned on the shower head and stepped into one of the only places she could stand to think. Letting the warm water hit her face, her thoughts drifted off to her marriage. Her two smiling little boys, her perfectly groomed front yard, markings on the wood of her bench from her children's trains and legos. She thought about the first time she saw her husband, and knew that she wanted to be with him for the last time. Thoughts clouded her mind of discovering she was pregnant with her son, Henry, and the Joy that came with this. She thought about the feeling of pure bliss she felt watching her son learning how to ride a bike. The memories of Henry holding his little brother for the first time. She thought about how hard coming home from hard cases was, and how her husband was there to comfort her. But suddenly, without warning, another thought entered her mind. She was having her first dance with her husband on their wedding day, when she saw her bestfriend, Emily Prentiss, looking at her. She was swaying to the beat of the music, holding the gazde that Emily had on her, when she realized that behind the happy look she was giving JJ, there was a hint of sadness and longing underneath the look the brunette wa giving her. `But before being able to try to understand the look she was being given, her body was turned on beat to the music, her dress swirling right along with her. The warm water starting to turn cold brought her back from her thoughts. She was beginning to feel cold and decided that it was time to get dressed and go over her case files for the next day. Reaching up, she turned the shower head to the right, turning the water off. Stepping out of the steamy shower, and grabbing a fluffy towel provided by the hotel she was staying at, she wrapped her body in a silent embrace, shrugging her shoulders in a desperate attempt to keep her body warm. She walked back into the main part of her hotel room looking for her favorite flannel shirt to wear to bed that made her feel the most cozy no matter where she went.

The next morning was filled with meetings, case reviewing, crime-scene visits, and trips to the morgue when there was an incoming call from Garcia. Emily answered, prepared for the worst. "Garcia, what's up?" She asked. "Oh dear DEEmily…. That is a question with many answers." Garcia laughed, her purple butterfly hair clip coming loose in her blonde hair. "Care to venture one of them?" Emily questioned, tapping her pen on the oakwood desk impatiently. "Oh, don't get cocky Prentiss. Of course I have an answer for you. But before I tell you what I have in regard to th3e single parents organizations, there's been another murder." Reid sighed, rubbing his head in disappointment.

"The victim's name was Malia Robertson. 24 year old single mom to Michael Robertson. The father of the 8 year old child was Justin Lorrinton. He left when Michael was only 6 months old, and hasn't made contact with Malia or Michael since then. Authorities just contacted him and sent dispatch offeicecfdededers to his last known address in Nevada." Garcia reported. "Where was the victim found and how do we know that it's our UnSubs work?" Tara asked. "Both of the earlier victims were single mothers in their twenties, found murdered in semi-public places. They were all stabbed and they all had children between the ages of 1-10 and they were all not there during the time of the murders." Garcia responded, flipping through files looking for what looked like crime scene photos. She held one of them up. "Her body was found outside a local dive bar called Dave's Dive. She was found with 15 stab wounds, most on the front of her body, four on the back. She was found laying on her stomach, and the ME reports that she was in fact killed there, the sameway the others were. She ultimately died of blood loss and her estimated time of death was 11:42 pm. Judging by the hours the bar was open, and the time she was found, it made sense that she was dead around that time." Garcia explained, occasionally looking down at the photos disappointed. "We could have saved her." She said, clicking off the video call. Everybody went silent for a moment. Reid, oblivious to the situation asked "What's wrong with her?" Emily looked up at him, annoyed. JJ stifled a laugh. Luke smiled, Tara tilted her head at him, questioning, almost asking if he had heard himself. Rossi laughed. "Wow kid. I almost forgot how oblivious you could be." The team laughed. Not at him, but at the memories that Rossi's comment brought up. Reid held his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'm innocent." He smiled, poking fun at himself. "Innocent until proven guilty." JJ pointed out, laughing at her own joke. Emily laughed too. Not only because of the joke, but because of the cute way that JJ's nose scrunched up when she laughed. JJ smiled at her, and for a minute- just a minute, Emily forgot all of her problems.


End file.
